In various scenarios, an extended reality system that implements one or more types of extended reality technology (e.g., augmented reality technology, virtual reality technology, etc.) may be configured to render a virtual object in a three-dimensional (“3D”) scene. For example, in certain implementations of augmented reality technology, a virtual object may be rendered so as to appear to be part of the real world (e.g., at a location proximate to a user experiencing the augmented reality technology). As another example, in certain implementations of virtual reality technology, a virtual object may be rendered so as to appear to be part of a virtual reality world (e.g., an imaginary virtual world, a camera-captured virtual world that is generated based on a real world location such as a location separate from where the user is experiencing the virtual reality technology, etc.).
To render a virtual object convincingly within a particular 3D scene (i.e., to render the virtual object in a manner that makes the virtual object appear to be a real object or to appear to actually be integrated with other real or virtual objects in the 3D scene), it may be desirable for an extended reality system to account for various details. For instance, it may be desirable for the extended reality system to account for various sources of light in the 3D scene and how this light interacts with the geometry of the surface of the virtual object.